We see a lot of talk about “written procedures” and how they should be minimized in length/detail and in some cases done away with altogether. I call this rubbish – when done well they can be the cornerstone of a well-executed SMS. And yes, I subscribe to the practice that some of these procedures will get special attention and we call these “Cardinal Rules” or “Life Critical Rules”. I have always used these definitions in my PSM/SMSs:
Procedure: written instruction describing how to carry out a job of work. May be on paper, including diagrams, flowcharts, etc, or be presented on a computer screen.
Safety critical procedure: describes a procedure for a task which, if carried out incorrectly or not at all, could lead to serious plant damage, loss of containment, injury, or fatality.
Bottom line… Procedures provide a CONSISTENT and SAFE means of performing tasks, and they are the foundation for training personnel in how to do safety-critical tasks.
